Life in Short
by Girl From Another World
Summary: A summary of the lives of the Marauders and friends, from first year to Halloween 1981. They were all destined to lives long and happy lives, few got that pleasure.
1. Sirius and Marlene, Lily and James

Disclaimer - I do not own any of these characters.

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James Potter and Lily Evans were made for each other. There was no other way to put it really, their souls were literally designed to fit together.

In a way, they were lucky, because although at the age of eleven they could not have been more different and wrong for each other, they got to grow into each other. Lily and James grew up, and got to spend what little of their life they were granted together. They got a son, and marriage and a loving family that they got to choose. They were unfortunate, but they were unfortunate together, and for that they were eternally grateful.

Sirius Black and Marlene McKinnon were made for each other. There was no other way to put it really, their souls were literally designed to fit together.

But their lives, their lives were not designed for each other. Every single thing they encountered went against them, and that's probably why they were never a couple for more than a few months at a time. They didn't get the life they deserved, nor the time or ease; but they were given each other, and because of that their lives were not worthless.

First Year - 1971/72

James and Marlene had been best friends since birth, similar pure blood families and upbringing had made them the perfect life partners. Obviously that didn't pan out as planned though. On the Hogwarts train, James met Sirius, and Marlene, not being as oblivious as James was as to what the surname Black meant, decided it was time for her to find a new best friend. She found Lily Evans. Unfortunately, Lily came with an unfortunate Severus Snape, someone Marlene developed an immediate hatred for. But she decided she could put up with him for Lily. At school, her and James were still inseparable, but James and Lily's newfound hatred, and Marlene's wariness of Sirius meant the two pairs didn't spend as much time together as they should have.

Second Year - 1972/73

Marlene promised James on the last day of Summer that she'd give Sirius a chance, in exchange he promised to be nicer to Lily. When he decided to use his new nickname for her ("Carrots") on the train, the pact was immediately broken. Essentially, they repeated first year, only they were a tiny bit smarter now, and the insults that got thrown between Lily and James were more insulting. James and Severus had their first fight, a simple fist fight, neither of them clever enough yet to remember that they had wands in their pockets. James won, but Lily refused to speak to him at all, and that meant that in his eyes he'd lost. Marlene and Sirius still didn't speak.

Third Year - 1973/74

Lily became friends with Remus Lupin, the smartest of the legendary marauders, and her and Marlene were forced to spend time with the four boys than they wanted to. Marlene, jealous of Lily's new friendship with Remus, befriended Peter Pettigrew, the last marauder. Truth be told, she pitied the boy more than she liked him, but after a few weeks of spending time with him, she discovered why he was actually friends with the witty pranksters that were James, Sirius and Remus. Although seemingly shy and uninteresting from a distant, up close, Pete was just as funny. He just needed more encouragement than the other three did. James and Severus got into three fights over the year, they got caught by teachers once, the other two Sirius and Remus managed to rip them apart. By the end of the year, Lily and James didn't talk at all, except for the days when James decided that he absolutely _needed_ to be friends with Lily, then she'd simply scream profanities at him when she'd had enough and he'd back off. Marlene and Sirius didn't talk. Ever.

Fourth Year - 1974/75

Lily and Sirius became friends. Second night back and she found him sitting in the Gryffindor common room, surrounded by his luggage and nursing a bleeding cut on his forehead. He hadn't been on the train the previous day, and no one knew why. When she offered to go get James or Remus or Pete, he declined, and instead began to tell her the story behind his injuries. His Dad had kicked him out. Violently. Lily, although still nursing a dislike for Black, decided that she couldn't let this boy out of her care, and that was the beginning of their friendship. When Marlene noticed Lily and Sirius hanging out after class, she didn't say anything. But in her eyes, it was certain betrayal. Marlene got her first boyfriend, a fifth year Ravenclaw. Not one of her friends approved, but Marlene liked him so they put up with him. When he cheated on her, James, in a furious rage, went to confront him. It was Lily who calmed him down, and managed to bring him back to the common room instead of beating up Marlene's ex in the corridors. They still weren't friends though. Lily and Severus were drifting apart, as he chose instead to hang out with the future death eaters. There was a killing in the newspaper at least once a month. James and Severus fought five times, they didn't get caught once.

Fifth Year - 1975/76

James asked Lily out on the first day back. No one knew why, he didn't know why, and she cast a curse on him when she heard him complaining to Sirius about how whiny she was. Marlene made it onto the quidditch team, and ended up spending more time with Sirius as a result. James, Sirius and Peter achieved their animagus forms finally, and joined Remus every full moon. At Christmas of that year, Marlene and Lily discovered the four boys' secret, both couldn't help but change the way in which they saw the four troublemakers. Marlene kissed Sirius under the mistletoe, neither ever spoke about it again. But they were officially friends now. Lily spoke to Severus eleven times throughout the course of the year. One of them being when James had him hanging upside down during a lunch time, when Lily tried to intervene, Severus called her a mudblood. They were no longer friends, and the progress James had made with Lily was gone in an instant. The Daily Prophet did monthly reports on the killings or fights. Voldemort became The Dark Lord and Lily started having nightmares.

Sixth Year - 1976/77

Lily and Remus were made prefects, and James nervously approached Lily on the train, asking her kindly how her Summer had been. He was going to attempt being friends with her. She didn't want his friendship. Lily's mum died in a car crash the next day, and she went home for a couple of weeks. When she came back, James was too scared to speak to her. James threw a party at his house for New Years, Lily went and enjoyed herself. Slowly, they began to talk to each other, and could even be seen sharing a table in the library on occasion. Sirius came back from Easter break with a black eye and fractured wrist. This time it was Marlene that was the first to see him. She sat with him while Madame Pomfrey patched him up, and sat with him in the common room that night. If you stayed up late enough, you would get to see them sitting on the floor by the fire, murmuring to each other over the cracking of the burning logs. Sirius didn't go home that Summer, instead he went to live with the Potters. Marlene visited them nearly everyday. James invited the three other boys, Marlene and Lily to spend a week up at the Potter's cabin. James and Lily had never been closer.

Seventh Year - 1977/78

Lily and James were made Head boy and Head girl for Gryffindor House, and were inseparable. His Dad died fighting Death Eaters at the end of September, and it was only Lily that kept him going. At Halloween, he asked her out. She declined, claiming she didn't want to ruin their friendship. She lied, truth was she was scared he would get hurt, or worse. Purebloods didn't belong with mudbloods like her. That's what she told herself anyway. When Remus asked her why she'd said no to James, she told him the truth. Sirius and Marlene started hooking up, nothing romantic, but neither could stop themselves from wanting something more. At Christmas, Sirius called it off, he told her that he'd gotten bored of her, the truth was exactly the opposite. He wanted more of her, every part of her. But Black's didn't respond well to purebloods who weren't anti-muggleborn. Sirius feared for her life. James got jumped by a load of soon-to-be Death Eaters a week after new years, when Lily was the one to find him beaten bloody on her patrol, she couldn't hold herself back any longer. She admitted every feeling she'd ever had for him. Finally, they were together. Marlene got a boyfriend, mostly just to piss off Sirius, he nearly murdered the new boyfriend, purely for existing. Marlene broke up with her boyfriend after a month, but she refused to talk to Sirius until the end of the year. Lily's Dad died, and it nearly tore James and her apart. But they got through it, and on Graduation day he proposed to her. She said yes.

1978

James and Lily moved in together, the other three boys shared an apartment in the same building. James and Sirius got jobs aurors immediately, it took Lily six months to find a job, a secretary to a minor politician. Muggle-borns didn't get hired at that time. Remus didn't find a job at all, werewolves didn't get hired either. James' mum died of dragon-pox during the Summer, and James didnt stop to mourn. Instead he threw himself into his work. He killed his first man that month. Peter worked as a janitor at St Mungo's. He spent his lunch breaks trying to convince Marlene, a resident doctor there, to give Sirius another chance. In November, she bumped into him on her way home, he convinced her to get a drink with him, she agreed and a week later they were dating. They did it properly this time. Lily and James had an Autumn wedding, Marlene and Sirius were maid of honour and best man. Neither Lily or James' parents were alive to see it, but their friends were there, and McGonagall and others. They were surrounded by their family and it was the happiest day they'd had in a long time.

1979

Albus Dumbledore approached the six eighteen and nineteen year olds about the Order of the Phoenix. Lily killed her first man two months later, he was a death eater who had been about to send a deathly curse straight at Marlene. She didn't regret it. They fought alongside Alice and Frank Longbottom, and Molly and Arthur Weasley. They feared for their lives everyday, but that never stopped them. In July, Lily was captured by Voldemort and put under the cruciatus curse in attempt for information about Dumbledore's plans. She gave away no information, and the Order rescued her after two days. She was never the same after. Remus spent months away from home undercover in underground werewolf packs, trying to seek information about Voldemort's moves. Marlene was jumped by Regulus Black and a gang of death-eaters on her way home from work once. They should have been in school, but Voldemort was recruiting younger and younger supporters everyday. She could see in it Regulus' eyes that he didn't want to be there, but that didn't make him stop his friends from attempting to beat her to a pulp. She was stronger than them, but it was six to one, she was helpless. They left her alive fortunately, and she stumbled home to Sirius, fury and pain in her eyes and devastation in her heart. Sirius disappeared that night, Regulus was found the next morning nearly dead in an alleyway. Sirius and Marlene never talked about it. In December, Lily discovered she was pregnant, James and her were both terrified and overjoyed.

1980

Lily stayed at home while James, Sirius, Peter and Marlene went on raids, trying to find the hidden death eaters who had killed so many. Remus kept her company when he wasn't underground, but she very rarely saw him. In February, the Potters moved into hiding, James no longer went on raids. It was a tedious life, boring and uneventful, but they had each other and a baby boy on the way, so they got through it. Marlene and Sirius continued to live together, and truly they had never been happier. Everyday there was a new scar, a new wound, a new nightmare; but they were in love, and that can cure the worst of days. On July 31st 1980, Harry James Potter was born in Godric's Hollow. Godric they loved him so much, there wasn't a more loved and cherished child for miles. For Lily and James, Harry was their shining ray of hope, a glimpse of light in the darkness of the wizarding war. Everyone spent Christmas crowded around the beaming baby boy, Dumbledore even popped round for an hour; he gave Harry a small wooly hat. No one knew that it held the most complex of protection charms ever invented.

1981

Harry and Lily grew bored and tired. They wanted to come out of hiding, to leave the house without fear hanging over their heads, for Harry to grow up outside of Godric's Hollow. Dumbledore wouldn't let them. Marlene and Sirius broke up in June, they wouldn't tell anyone why, only that they'd run their time together. Lily tried to convince Marlene otherwise, as did James for Sirius, neither would listen. Dumbledore told the group that there was a traitor within the order, no one knew who it was. On 1st July 1981, Marlene McKinnon and the entirety of the McKinnon family were found dead in their respective homes. It was the second recorded mass murder of one family in wizarding history. Sirius didn't cry when he heard, but four death eaters were found dead the next day, nobody knew if they were connected to the McKinnons' murders. Lily cried and screamed herself for hours when Dumbledore told them. James simply picked up Harry and held him close to his chest, rocking him back and forth while the tears rolled down his face. Harry didn't understand, nor would he remember his Mother's screams. Sirius was never the same. For Harry's first birthday, they threw a little party. They hadn't seen Sirius since Marlene's death, he only turned up for his Godson's sake. Remus told James that he thought Sirius was the traitor. Sirius told Lily that he thought Remus was the traitor. They were both furiously told to be quiet, there were no traitors within this family. Pete turned up late, and gave Harry a toy lion, the red and gold Gryffindor lion. He made up for everyone else's depressive state with his energy. No one considered the fact that he'd lost Marlene too, probably his closest friend. On October 31st, Lily and James Potter were murdered by Voldemort while protecting their son, betrayed by one of their own, the boy they grew up, Peter Pettigrew. Sirius found them first, he was the one who stepped over James' glassy-eyed body, he was the one who continued up the stairs, because he'd promised his brother he'd always look out for Harry first. Harry was priority. He was the first to step over Lily's body, strong and trustworthy Lily. All he wanted to do was drop to his knees and hold her, but he couldn't, because he'd promised her that he'd always save Harry, to always look after him. Instead he ignored the bodies of his two dead best friends, and scooped up his screaming godson. He was the one who handed over Harry in the safe arms of Rubeus Hagrid, intending to go after Peter Pettigrew. He didn't know he'd be saying goodbye to his godson for the last time in twelve years at that point. But it was, and instead of Pettigrew in Azkaban, it was Sirius, the broken man, alone, furious and broken hearted.

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	2. Remus and Dorcas

Disclaimer - I do not own any of these characters.

Remus Lupin and Dorcas Meadowes were the epitome of couples who deserved a better chance. Many things went against them, many people believed they were the symbol of what was wrong with the wizarding world, and there were many reasons that they shouldn't have been together. But to each other, they were exactly what was right in the world.

First Year - 1971/72

Remus was the skinny boy with a prominent scar running down his arm, everybody wanted to know his story, but only three were confident enough to befriend him. Dorcas was the short spritely girl with a big personality, the girl everyone knew, but none were close to. They got paired together in potions, but when they managed to create an explosion that created a crack in the stone floor, the professor separated them. Dorcas got curious when she noticed that Remus went home once a month. She knew that his mother was ill, everyone did, but Dorcas didn't think it made sense.

Second Year - 1972/73

Remus gained three new scars by Christmas, Dorcas went to Professor McGonagall concerned that his family was abusive. McGonagall assured her that it was nothing of the sort, and that she shouldn't confront Remus, it was a personal matter. Dorcas didn't really take advice, and was stubborn enough that people telling her not to do something caused the opposite. When she managed to corner him after class he stuck to his 'sick mother' story, but he turned paler than usual and clasped his hands together nervously. He was lying. The next day Sirius Black cornered her and told her to back off. She did. She was the first person, apart from his three best friends, who had actually showed concern for him. He never forgot that.

Third Year - 1973/74

Remus got a new friend, Lily Evans, who his best friend James was supposedly in love with. Lily got it out of Remus within a month that he was a werewolf. James was impressed, Remus wasn't. He thought she'd be terrified of him, run away, tell everyone. She didn't, and he cried with happiness. For the first time, he was beginning to believe that maybe he wasn't a hopeless case after all. Dorcas was losing her optimism, her spark that made her the lively being she'd been in first year. Unusually, it was Sirius Black who saved her. Having been paired with her in charms one day, and being surprised by how witty and intelligent she was, he invited her to sit with him, the boys, Lily and Marlene that lunch. She accepted and from that day on she was part of the group. Sirius was still her best friend, but she got on well with everyone else too. Except for Remus, neither of them had forgotten the awkward of confrontation from last year, and neither were going to be forgetting it anytime soon. She still didn't know the truth about his 'mum's illness'

Fourth Year - 1974/75

Dorcas witnessed Severus punching James, she was the one to break it up. She never told Lily. At Christmas her and Remus got stuck under some magical mistletoe strategically placed by Sirius and James. She quickly kissed Remus on the cheek and walked away, but after that they actually began to talk and become friends. Remus got Dorcas for secret santa, he got her a matching glove and hat set, she wore it every Winter after that. Marlene got a boyfriend in the year above, he cheated on her, Dorcas placed a charm on his shampoo that made his hair fall out. No one ever suspected her of doing it, James found out though, and named her an honorary prankster. Dorcas got a hufflepuff boyfriend, he was nothing special, and truth be told she never liked him enough to date him, but he listened to what she said and so she stayed with him for a couple of months. Although she didn't know it at the time, Remus developed a sudden disliking for the hufflepuff when they started to go out, and somehow he managed to slip many exploding truffles into his lunches. By the end of the year, Dorcas had begun to imagine it was her family's names in the articles listing the dead in the newspapers.

Fifth Year - 1975/76

Remus and Dorcas wrote to each other over the Summer, and when they came back, they were just as close as Lily and Remus were. When James asked Lily out on the first day back, he told Dorcas it was because he'd seen other guys eyeing her up, he didn't care if she was with him or not he claimed, he simply didn't want them near her. Remus developed a crush on Dorcas, and he told Lily first. As was Lily's way, she told Sirius, and together they placed mistletoe where they knew Remus and Dorcas would get stuck under it together. Only it didn't go to plan, and Remus ended up stuck under it with another girl. Dorcas could only watch as they kissed, on the mouth this time, and Sirius and Lily hid their heads in their hands. Remus and his new friend started to go out. Dorcas stopped talking to Remus. At Easter, his new girlfriend discovered the real reason why he disappeared once a month, and she ran away disgusted. When she threatened to tell the whole school it was Dorcas who managed to calm her down, Remus' secret was safe. Only Dorcas had been betrayed, she found out from Remus' ex that he was a werewolf, her best friend, who she'd fallen for, had lied to her for five years. When she confronted him about it, his face fell, it had never occurred to him that he'd been lying to her too. He'd been doing it for too long. She didn't talk to him for the rest of the year. Dorcas had a nightmare where she was killed.

Sixth Year - 1976/77

Remus was made a prefect with Lily, and Dorcas couldn't help but be jealous of how much time they spent together. She stayed awake every full moon, unable to sleep knowing the pain he was going through. She still wouldn't talk to him though. At James' new year party Remus got drunk and confronted Dorcas; he told her she had no reason for being angry at him, and she believed him. He didn't remember it the next day. In March, a Slytherin seventh year followed Remus and the boys down to the Whomping Willow. He got more than he bargained for when he found a stag and a rat trying to keep a werewolf from leaving the Shrieking shack. Sirius hadn't changed yet, it was him who got the Slytherin boy out alive, it's only for that reason that he never snitched on Remus' condition. Remus woke up the next morning with only Dorcas by his side, he was naked as always, but someone had thrown a woollen blanket over his body. It was cold in the shack. Calmly, she explained to him that he'd managed to throw James and Peter when they tried to calm him down, they were in the infirmary and Sirius was with them. He sobbed for hours, all Dorcas could do was hold him. She patched up his fresh wounds and brought him back to school when he was ready. They went back to being friends after that. Over the Summer, Remus went off to the Potter's cabin with the boys and Lily and Marlene. Dorcas was invited, but her parents knew what was happening in the world around them, they wouldn't let her go. Remus still wrote to her everyday though, he was the first one she told about her nightmares.

Seventh Year

Two weeks in and Remus and Dorcas were inseparable, people kept asking them how long they'd been going out. They both laughed awkwardly when that happened and denied it, everyone else wet themselves laughing. The first full moon back and something went wrong. No one knew what it was, maybe it was because James' dad had died only days before, maybe Remus was just more aggressive this month, but whatever it was, it ended with Peter running to get Dorcas. It was her who had to Remus down, still in wolf form and baring his teeth at her. Both Sirius and James were unconscious on the floor, having been thrown from the floor when Remus tried to get at Dorcas. She had to cast a few curses at Remus to keep herself safe, nothing damaging, but that didn't make her feel any better about it. Once again, Remus woke up with just Dorcas by his side. This time he didn't cry, he simply apologised over and over again, no matter how many times Dorcas told him she forgave him. Two nights later, Forcas fell asleep in the common room on the sofa, she had somehow ended up with her feet in Remus' lap, and he, not wanting to wake her up, stayed there, until everyone else had gone. He watched her sleep peacefully, revelling in how beautiful and calm she looked. She woke up eventually, the light of the glowing fire casting red shadows across their faces. She didn't know what caused it, but she kissed him. The next day they told their friends they were actually going out this time. Sirius came crying to them both at Christmas, uncomprehendingly sobbing about Marlene, they never found out what he'd been saying. They made it to graduation together.

1978

Dorcas moved to America to work for a potions company (no one in England would take her due to her muggleborn status). She tried to portkey back twice a week to see everyone, mostly Remus though, but it was a test on their relationship. It was only the money James had inherited that kept Remus alive, no one anywhere would take him in for a job. In the Autumn, Lily and James got married, it was a beautiful day, and Remus and Dorcas danced the whole night. They never talked about marriage, but neither were the marrying type.

1979

Dumbledore asked them to be a part of the Order of the Phoenix, they both accepted of course, Dorcas did what she could when she was home from America, but she played a very minor role unlike her boyfriend and friends. Remus was so relieved when Dumbledore asked him if he'd be willing to go undercover in the underground werewolf packs. Finally he had a purpose. Dorcas was not so thrilled, in fact she was terrified, she didn't get to see him for months at a time, and she was constantly worried he was dead somewhere. In December Lily discovered she was pregnant, they were bringing a baby into this deadly world.

1980

Dorcas died in January, murdered by death eaters in her home. She put up a fight, with as much wandless magic as possible, but it was four against one. She never stood a chance. They left a note next to her body saying "Mudblood and in love with a werewolf. Deserved to die." Remus tried to kill himself when he found out, it was Sirius who stopped him. After that he went on longer and longer trips underground, he was barely seen. Harry was born, Remus met him then left for a new werewolf pack again.

1981

No on saw Remus until Harry's first birthday, they thought he was dead. Sirius thought that Remus was the traitor, Remus thought that it was him. Then suddenly the war was over, but Lily and James was dead, Peter was presumed dead and Sirius was in Azkaban for murder. Remus lost all of his best friends in the same day, and was left alone to pick up the pieces.

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